Tallahassee can't repeal law of unintended consequences

August 20, 2011|By Aaron Deslatte, Capitol View

TALLAHASSEE — Gov. Rick Scott and Republican lawmakers keep getting reminders that the law of unintended consequences is one they can't repeal.

Scott was sternly rebuked last week by the Florida Supreme Court, which ruled he violated the separation of powers by freezing hundreds of proposed rules. Scott's move was a gift to business groups such as the Florida Chamber of Commerce and Associated Industries of Florida, which have lamented for years that Florida "over-regulates."

But Florida's courts remain a last bastion for miffed citizens, beleaguered Democrats, unions and liberal advocacy groups. Scott's lawyers are defending him in nine legal challenges to policies he and the GOP-led Legislature have passed this year.

Scott understands the reality that government is designed to work differently from the business sector. "I took civics class," he joked with reporters last week, adding, "I'm not sure it always works the way it's supposed to work."

But full-throated conservative overhauls that aren't in the courts also are running into bureaucratic barriers.

A push to privatize South Florida prisons is already $25 million over budget, even though nothing has happened, thanks to the exorbitant cost of paying for the vacation and sick leave for the 4,000 corrections employees the move would get rid of. The department last week also scrapped plans to privatize health-care services in its prisons statewide.

Both initiatives were pushed by Republicans to save costs, and opposed by the Florida Police Benevolent Association.

As critical as Scott has been of President Barack Obama and Congress over the nation's credit downgrade, Florida political leaders have one of their own.

After lawmakers' move to cut water-management-district budgets, Standard & Poor's downgraded the credit rating for the South Florida Water Management District from AAA to AA+, a move that will cost taxpayers more when the agency has to borrow money for Everglades and other water projects.

But Scott said he was confident GOP leaders acted responsibly when they limited property-tax authority for four of the state's five water districts.

"We actually did the right thing. We're making sure all our water-management districts go back to their core mission," Scott said, citing the $206 million or so the move will save for homeowners through most of the state. "What's going on with our water-management districts — it's good what's happening."

Asked about the increased cost of selling bonds, Scott was defiant.

"Why should they be out borrowing money?" he said. "They should be doing what the state's doing. ... Especially in tough times like this. What would you do in your households?"

Even something as simple has consolidating the state's email systems has become a big deal.

Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam complained at a Cabinet meeting that the effort will cost his agency more and provide fewer services.

For years, Florida's roughly two dozen state agencies have been allowed to develop their own information-technology systems. Now the Legislation has mandated consolidation of email and data services, and Florida's IT guru on Tuesday told the Cabinet it would save a minimum of $15 million during seven years. But it would impact some agencies differently than others.

Attorney General Pam Bondi's office, for example, was allowed to opt out because its email system was embedded within a larger IT product that would cost $20 million to replace.